A Mindset For Success In This World And The Next

Bismillah 

The way Allah deals with the believing Nation is the same. If the behavior is the same, Allah's response will be the same.

Allah has given us the Deen (Islam) which we have to take other people into consideration all the time. You have to be the best to your parents, the best to your spouse and your family. Your children have rights upon you. Your neighbor have rights upon you. Even the environment, the animals and plants have rights upon you. You must know the rights of people and fulfill them. Never mind about your rights so much.

There is a component of our Deen that we pretend that no one  matters except Allah. Even our own personal feelings don't matter. Allah already decreed that certain money is haram, certain kinds of food, certain kinds of action, certain kind of environments are not permitted for you. The list of things that are prohibited is very short and also very clear. There is no confusion about what's wrong in this Deen. Everything that is wrong have been explained and elaborated without any doubt. It is pretty straightforward and not complicated because this Deen is supposed to be for all humanity. It becomes complicated because other human beings are impacting our decisions. So we start bending our commitment to what is right because it will offend someone else. For example your spouse wants you to do something that you know is haram but you do it because you don't want to hurt her feelings or you are afraid of losing her. In those kind of moments, the mindset that Allah is teaching us is very powerful. You have to pretend that no one else is around except you and Allah and that He expects you to live by certain kind of guidance and that you do this entirely for yourself. 

 

When you obey Allah, it is entirely selfish. It has nothing to do with with anyone else. Nobody's feelings matter, nobody's anger matters, your own preferences, your culture, your status, your race, your background don't matter. Nothing matters because it is just you and Allah. That is the only reason you are following the guidance. This does not mean you can become ruthless towards others.  Anything that Allah tells you to do and somebody else makes you feel good or feel bad, this has nothing to do with you and your Creator. No one else can be a part of your decision and thought  process. No scars, no trauma or hurt feelings from anyone else matter because that's your relationship with another human being. 

 

When it comes to Allah's guidance, every decision that has to do with Allah's revelation has to be separated from what people say or do out of resentment or out of love. Even if everything that those bad people did to you are valid, you cannot disobey Allah. 

If your parents never nag you to pray, to wake up for fajr, you are still responsible to pray. You don't get to blame your parents on  Judgment Day. Allah has made every human being intelligent and capable enough to find the right way themselves. When you are capable and smart enough, then you are held responsible.  

 إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا

[And said], "If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, [you do it] to yourselves." 

(Quran, Al Isra' 17:7)

So many people have this illusion that it is difficult to live in the West. There is no West anymore other than the name. The whole world is the West now. The fitan (trials and tribulations) in the West exist everywhere now. The idea that we get to blame the society, the day and age, the technology, the corruption, other people, religious scholars, and blame everything except ourselves, this is the lie that Allah crushes. 

Allah sent us his final Messenger, Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam as our guide and excellent example. The thing that makes you worthy of Allah's Rahmah (loving care and mercy), the guidance that makes it clear and what it means to live a good life, has been made clear. On one hand Allah has Rahmah, Allah is the Guide, Allah is the Provider, Allah is the Protector, Allah overlooks our mistakes, on the other hand you are responsible for your own actions.

The dangerous thing for the Muslims is not in the corruption of their actions, although corrupt actions are bad enough, but the greater danger is when there is corruption of the thought process -- when your mind is corrupt, when your world view is corrupt, when you start thinking you can blame others and not yourself, when you start thinking you are off the hook, when you think you can blame your emotional state. This line of thinking has to stop. No one will carry your burdens on the Day of Judgment. You will be your own auditor on the Day of Judgment.

 ٱقْرَأْ كِتَٰبَكَ كَفَىٰ بِنَفْسِكَ ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا ‎﴿١٤﴾‏ مَّنِ ٱهْتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِى لِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۗ وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا ‎﴿١٥﴾‏ 

[It will be said], "Read your record. Sufficient is yourself against you this Day as accountant." (14) Whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul. And whoever errs only errs against it. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger. (15)  [Quran, Al Isra' 17:14-15]

We are constantly given choices. We enjoy a great deal of independence today that maybe the history of humanity has never seen. Even if you are not financially independent, you have a device that give you excess to virtually anything. You are constantly able to make a decision on to what you do with your eyes, your mind, your tongue, your hands, your  other limbs.

Choice is a huge responsibility. But it doesn't feel that way when you don't see the consequences of your choices. With the social media, you type up whatever you feel like, you browse anything you want, you see whatever you feel like. If we don't realize that there are consequences to our actions, this is going to lead us to a very dark and terrible path, in which guidance will be taken away from us. If you pretend to be helpless, which is the last trick of the shaytan, you can only pretend for so long until you stand before Allah and have to explain yourself.

 

If no one else ever tell you that you are responsible, the fact that Allah revealed it, it is enough. You are enough as an auditor against yourself in the Ayah above. Allah is saying to every human being that on the Day of Judgment you will be reading your own book of record. 

The way for you protect yourself is become scrupulous, uncompromising when in comes to Allah's guidance. It doesn't matter who gets hurt, what pain you have to go through, it is worth the pain now, it is worth the  energy and exhaustion now, it is worth losing your friends now, it is worth being called names now. It is not worth what you are going to be facing later if you compromise Allah's guidance now. Those whose loyalty makes you compromise Allah's guidance will be running away from you in the Day of Judgment. Don't be fooled by that loyalty. Those people you did not follow and hated you for that, you might find them thanking you for it in the Day of Judgment because had you not done so, they would have been in a deeper trouble. 

May Allah removes the tendency to cast blame on everyone else for the way that we are before we put responsibility and blame on ourselves. May Allah make us true to ourselves and those around us and make our commitment to His guidance sincere and  pure and make us live a life that embodies the Quran. Aameen.

Overcoming Grief And Anxiety

Bismillah

No human is free of some worry or anxiety. No matter what state we are in, no matter what we have or don’t have, we find that anxiety clouds our existence. The one who is poor is anxious and worried, desiring to be rich, desiring to have wealth. The one who is wealthy is always worried about losing his wealth. The one who does not have children is anxious and grief-struck that he wants to have children. The one who has children, so many of the anxieties come from the children as well. The one who is single wants to be married. The one who is married does not find full peace within marriage. This is the reality of human existence.

Grief and anxiety is part and parcel of existence. Man is created always struggling, anxious for something else, never satisfied with what she or he has. The nature of man is to be consumed with anxiety

Allah reminds us in the Quran,

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ ‎﴿٤﴾

We have certainly created man into toil and hardship. [Quran, Al Balad 90:4]

So if anxiety is part of our existence, then what should be done to combat it? How do we overcome the feelings of concern, grief, and stress that overwhelm us?

Allah never mention grief and worry in the Quran except that Allah commands to get rid of that anxiety, or He gives gladtidings that the future will come when there will no grief.

Allah says,

وَلَا تَهِنُوا۟ وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا۟ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ‎﴿١٣٩﴾

So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers. [Quran, AleImran 3:139]

أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوْلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ‎﴿٦٢﴾‏

Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. [Quran, Yunus 10:62]

The ultimate time when there shall be no grief, and the abode where there is no grief, is Jannah. The first thing the people of Jannah will say after the angels give them the greetings of peace, will say,

وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا ٱلْحَزَنَ ۖ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ ‎﴿٣٤﴾

And they will say, "Praise to Allah, who has removed from us [all] sorrow. Indeed, our Lord is Forgiving and Appreciative. [Quran, Fatir 35:34]

This shows that our anxiety is part and parcel of our human existence. The Prophet sallallahu alayi wasallam and the righteous feel anxiety. The goal is to minimize anxiety but we will never live a stress-free life in this world. That is in the next life. That's why Jannah is called Darussalaam, the abode of salaam, the abode of peace, no harm, no anxiety.

There is no way to combat it effectively without turning to the Creator of this world. There is no way to combat anxiety without understanding that nothing happens without Allah's will. So He must have a plan that is better than my plan and your plan. Understand and realize that Allah is in control, He sees all, He has everything in His plan. Believe in Allah and Allah’s qadr is the most powerful antidote to grief and to combat anxiety.

قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَآ إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَىٰنَا ۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ‎﴿٥١﴾

Say, "Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector." And upon Allah let the believers rely. [Quran, At-Tawbah 9:51]

Nothing is going to happen to me and you except that Allah has already willed it. Allah is the Maulana. My enemies don’t control me, the people who hate me do not have any power over me.

So, when facing a problem, you must remind yourself that Allah is in control, not you, and that Allah sees everything that is happening to you.

May Allah save us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next. May Allah send relief to those who are in difficulty. Aameen.

And Allah knows best.

Injustice is Darkness in the Day of Resurrection -- Beware of the Supplication of the Oppressed

Bismillah

One reason we should be fearful of committing oppression and injustice is that Allah will always answer the supplication of an oppressed person.

Allah will always answer the supplication of the oppressed even if the oppressed person is an unbeliever or sinner. In Islam, justice is a universal right for all people. People have the right to be protected in their lives, wealth, and freedom. If we fail to fulfill their rights, then we have surrendered our fate to their supplication.

Mu’adh ibn Jabal reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

وَاتَّقِ دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ حِجَابٌ

Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no veil between it and Allah. [Bukhari]

Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

اتَّقُوا دَعَوَاتِ الْمَظْلُومِ فَإِنَّهَا تَصْعَدُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ كَأَنَّهَا شَرَارٌ

Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for it ascends to Allah as if it were a flare. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Khuzaymah ibn Thabit reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

اتَّقُوا دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ فَإِنَّهَا تُحْمَلُ عَلَى الْغَمَامِ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ جَلَّ جَلالُهُ وَعِزَّتِي وَجَلالِي لأَنْصُرَنَّكَ وَلَوْ بَعْدَ حِينٍ

Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for it is carried above the clouds. Allah Almighty says: By My might and majesty, I will help you in due time.

[al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr 3718]

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا تُرَدُّ دَعْوَتُهُمْ الصَّائِمُ حَتَّى يُفْطِرَ وَالْإِمَامُ الْعَادِلُ وَدَعْوَةُ الْمَظْلُومِ يَرْفَعُهَا اللَّهُ فَوْقَ الْغَمَامِ وَيَفْتَحُ لَهَا أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ وَيَقُولُ الرَّبُّ وَعِزَّتِي لَأَنْصُرَنَّكِ وَلَوْ بَعْدَ حِينٍ

The supplications of three are never turned back: a fasting person until he breaks his fast, a just leader, and the supplication of the oppressed is raised above the clouds by Allah, the gates of heaven open for it and the Lord says: By My might, I will surely help you in due time. [Sunan al-Tirmidhī]

Aslam reported: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, appointed a client of his named Hunayy to tend the pasture and he said:

يَا هُنَيُّ ضْمُمْ جَنَاحَكَ عَنِ المُسْلِمِينَ وَاتَّقِ دَعْوَةَ المَظْلُومِ فَإِنَّ دَعْوَةَ المَظْلُومِ مُسْتَجَابَةٌ

O Hunayy, lower your wing for the Muslims and beware the supplication of the oppressed, for the supplication of the oppressed is answered.” [Bukhari]

Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا تُرَدُّ دَعْوَتَهُمُ الْإِمَامُ الْعَادِلُ عَلَى رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالْوَالِدُ عَلَى وَلَدِهِ وَدَعْوَةُ الْمَظْلُومِ

Three supplications are never turned away: a just leader for his subjects, a parent over his child, and the supplication of the oppressed. [Musnad ibn al-Jaʻd 2401]

If we commit an act of injustice against someone, that person has a free supplication they can use against us. Will they ask Allah to punish us? Will they supplicate for evil against us? When we oppress them, we are actually turning ourselves over to their mercy, and oppressed people are not often interested in compassion or forgiveness for their oppressors.

On the other hand, if we ourselves are the victims of injustice, we can take comfort in the fact that we have a supplication that is guaranteed to be answered. We should use it to supplicate for goodness, rather than wasting it on vengeance.

The supplication of an oppressed person is always answered even if that person is an unbeliever or a sinner. Justice and the fulfillment of human rights are to be enjoyed by all people regardless of their religion.

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

اتَّقُوا دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ وَإِنْ كَانَ كَافِرًا فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ دُونَهَا حِجَابٌ

Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, even if he is an unbeliever, for there is nothing to veil it. [Musnad Aḥmad]

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

دَعْوَةُ الْمَظْلُومِ مُسْتَجَابَةٌ وَإِنْ كَانَ فَاجِرًا فَفُجُورُهُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ

The supplication of the oppressed is answered, even if he is wicked, for only his wickedness is against himself. [Musnad Aḥmad]

A person’s religion or personal sins, then, are no excuse to unjustly harm them in any way. Islam exalts justice as a universal value through which human beings must relate to one another and forbids the oppression of all people.

Allah said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

Verily, Allah orders justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives and He forbids immorality, bad conduct, and transgression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.

[Quran, al-Nahl 16:90]

And Allah said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

O you who believe, be persistently standing firm for Allah, as witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just, for that is nearer to righteousness. Fear Allah, for Allah is aware of what you do.

[Quran, al-Ma’idah 5:8]

Al-Qurtubi commented on this verse, writing:

وَدَلَّتِ الْآيَةُ أَيْضًا عَلَى أَنَّ كُفْرَ الْكَافِرِ لَا يَمْنَعُ مِنَ الْعَدْلِ عَلَيْهِ

This verse shows that the unbelief of the unbeliever does not prevent him from enjoying justice. [Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī 6/110]

Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

قال الله تبارك وتعالى يَا عِبَادِي إِنِّي حَرَّمْتُ الظُّلْمَ عَلَى نَفْسِي وَجَعَلْتُهُ بَيْنَكُمْ مُحَرَّمًا فَلَا تَظَالَمُوا

Allah Almighty said: O My servants, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and I have forbidden it among you, so do not oppress one another. [Muslim]

Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

اتَّقُوا الظُّلْمَ فَإِنَّ الظُّلْمَ ظُلُمَاتٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

Beware of committing oppression, for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection. [Muslim]

The strength of the Muslim community is in its care for the natural rights of everyone including the weak, the wicked, and the hated. Justice is the true metric by which Allah supports or rejects a community. If our community is weak, then we must critically examine our failure to fulfill justice.

And Allah knows best

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wasahbihi wasallam

A Grave Sin -- Infringing Upon Other People's Privacy, Backbiting, Talebearing and Spying

Bismillah

 

Islam gives great importance to the fundamental human right to privacy. This is evident from the some of the verses of the Quran: 

 

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا۟ وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ ‎﴿١٢﴾‏

 

O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.

[Quran, Al Hujurat 49:12]

 

‏ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَدْخُلُوا۟ بُيُوتًا غَيْرَ بُيُوتِكُمْ حَتَّىٰ تَسْتَأْنِسُوا۟ وَتُسَلِّمُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ ‎﴿٢٧﴾‏

 

O you who have believed, do not enter houses other than your own houses until you ascertain welcome and greet their inhabitants. That is best for you; perhaps you will be reminded.

[Quran, An-Noor 24:27]

 

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam taught us not to even enter our own houses surreptitiously, without announcement. Now, what about snooping on people's life, directly or indirectly, from public records or otherwise? This is infringing upon the person's privacy and spreading it may hurt the person involved in many ways that we may or may not realize. How do you meet Allah with such sins on your backs?

 

Each sin that we do is a black spot on the heart. If we don't repent, it will cummulate until that heart becomes totally black. 

 

Eventhough a lot of private information is accessible on the internet and public records, this does not mean you are free to access other people's information especially if it is for some evil intent or spying. Using the information gathered to hurt another person is a grave sin. 

 

Islam not only condemns infringement of one's privacy, but also disallows spying or prying into others life. In addition to spying, Islam imposes a ban on scandalization and defamation in order to protect people's privacy and sanctity of life.

 

There are many texts which condemn nameemah (talebearing) and spying and seeking out people’s faults.

 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No person who spreads nameemah will enter Paradise.” According to another report, “No eavesdropper (qattaat)…”

[Al Bukhari & Muslim]

 

It is also narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the falsest of speech. Do not eavesdrop; do not spy on one another; do not envy one another; do not forsake one another; do not hate one another. Be, O slaves of Allah, brothers.”

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

 

Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Some of the scholars said that tahassus [‘eavesdropping’] means listening to other people’s conversations, and tajassus [‘spying’] means seeking out their faults. Or it was suggested that tajassus means lookin for secrets. The word is mostly used in the sense of evil. The jaasoos (spy) is the one who seeks out secrets for evil purposes and the naamoos is the one who seeks out secrets for good purposes. And it was said that tajassus means looking for information for someone else, and tahassus means looking for information for oneself.

[Al Bukhari & Muslim]

 

May Allah protect us from injustices to and from others. 

 

وَلَا تُخْزِنِى يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ ‎﴿٨٧﴾‏ يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ‎﴿٨٨﴾‏ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى ٱللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ‎﴿٨٩﴾

 

And do not disgrace me on the Day they are [all] resurrected - (87) The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (88) But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart." (89) [Quran, Ash-Shu'ara 26:87-89]

 

Aameen.

 

And Allah knows best.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wasahbihi wasallam